<p>I need some advice. My daughter's friend moved in with us a few months ago and will be living with us until she goes off to college in the fall of 2008. She is 17 and a senior in high school. Her father is deceased and her mother is unable to care for her due to mental illness. She does receive a monthly check from Social Security because of her father, but I don't know if that continues beyond the age of 18, which she will be in a couple of months. We are supporting her by providing room and board. She pays for personal expenses with the SS check. I will need to help her to fill out a FAFSA. We need to communicate through the FAFSA that she is essentially indigent with no means of support. Will this be a daunting task? My husband and I cannot assist her with the expense of college, as we have our own daughter who is also a senior to consider. We are not legal guardians, just people that have stepped up to help. Thanks...</p>
<p>She should list her Mom as her sole (custodial) parent, and include Mom's income and assets (which I presume are minimal). She'll list her social security income, and any money she might have in checking/savings, etc. Your info won't be included.</p>
<p>The schools will still consider her mom responsible to assist, financially, to the extent that she's able. They won't consider you responsible.</p>
<p>One problem she may have the first year is that the social security money will be listed in her name, and assessed at the student income rate (this was an issue for me back when I was in college.) Now that SS ends at 18, it probably will only have an impact on her freshman year. I have seen this happen to students at the college I work at, getting minimal aid frosh year because of their former SS income.</p>
<p>Thank you sblake7 and garland. I'm feeling a little better about this after doing some digging. We will have to include her mother's info assuming we can get it, and of course, the SS income. It appears this situation falls under the heading of special circumstances and we can meet with the financial aid office of wherever she decides to attend and try to persuade them to override her dependency status. I'm optimistic that we can do that with the right supporting documentation.</p>
<p>I have to say- kudos to you for stepping up and helping this girl out- Im sure she will never forget it.
I also think that the schools will take it into consideration & if there are any public agencies involved to help support her ( does she have a case manager?) they can add info as well.</p>
<p>bostonbred, I sent you a PM.</p>
<p>SS money received by a minor is reported under the minors SS number and the minor may have to deal with the money as to federal income purposes which could or could not mean it shows up on the minors 1040 if filed, but
isn't SS money received by a minor (here a 17 year old) reported as parental income on FAFSA Schedule A?</p>
<p>My understanding from a few years ago is that Social Security discontinues at 18, OR until high school graduation.</p>
<p>Jugulator is right (I think) - from the FAFSA instructions for Parental Worksheet A:</p>
<p>"If Social Security benefits that were not taxed (such as Supplemental Security Income [SSI]) were paid to your parents on your behalf (because you were under 18 years old at the time), those benefits are reported as your parents' income in the parent column, not your income in the student column."</p>
<p>"Your parents must report benefits received on behalf of persons included in their household size as their income"</p>
<p>It's actually to the students benefit to report it as parental income, as pointed out above.</p>
<p>sblake7: your post above is where I was headed. I'm assuming that on the facts provided, the SS money would show up as parental income on Schedule A, and probably not show up as part of student's or parent's AGI as reported on a federal tax return, which at least as far as federal aid goes, could be very good for the student.</p>
<p>I'm a little overwhelmed by the generosity of you all in providing this information. I can't tell you how helpful it has been. I think that between the school system and DFACS we can get strong supporting documentation for the override. The school counselor has been wonderful, by the way. She offered to write a letter to attach to all six of this student's college applications explaining the difficult circumstances she has been enduring the last four years. We really needed that to offset the less than stellar GPA in this bright girl. </p>
<p>The SSI being counted as mother's income makes sense, and I'm glad you pointed that out because I never would have thought of it. The check does go to her mother and we have to pick it up each month. </p>
<p>This girl is teaching us as much as we are teaching her. She is very sweet and is so full of potential. She doesn't see herself the way that we do, but maybe someday she will.</p>